What did Denis Molla do? Trump supporter charged for staging politically-motivated attack

Prosecutors in Minnesota have accused Denis Molla, a 29-year-old Trump supporter, of setting fire to his own property and falsely accusing BLM protestors of the crime.

In July 2020, 2 months before the September US election, Denis Molla had uploaded footage of his burnt and graffitied camper van, alleging that he had been targeted by BLM activists for being a Trump supporter. As per the Independent, he claimed that he saw 3 people running from the property.

According to court documents, Denis Molla proceeded to start a GoFundMe claiming that he needed money for the damages. Prosecutors allege that he collected more than $17,000 in donations.

Molla is also accused of falsely filing an insurance claim for $300,000, for which he received $61,000. He has been charged with 2 counts of wire fraud.

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Claims made by Denis Molla against BLM

In a 2020 interview with CBS, Molla told reporters that his wife and children were asleep at home when the alleged attack on his RV occurred.

Molla said:

“I heard just a big, loud boom, or a bang. The first thing for me was my kids, my wife. What’s going on?”

As per Law and Crime, after the crime Molla began taking a video of the damaged camper van. Footage depicted pro-Biden and BLM slogans. He claimed that he was targeted due to the pro-Trump flags that adorned his vehicle and home.

He said:

“It just shocked me. This kind of stuff should not happen, especially over beliefs of some sort.”

The Independent reported that during the initial 2020 investigation, the arson was probed by the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the Bureau of alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the FBI.

According to NBC, after Molla submitted a number of insurance claims after the fire, he took an aggressive stance against the insurance company for denying the amount he requested. He told the company's representatives he would report them to the Commerce Department and the attorney general for fraud.

The initial criminal complaint filed by Molla outlines his version of the alleged crime.

It reads:

"(Mola claims) someone lit his camper on fire, that three unknown males were near his home when he heard an explosion, that his garage door was vandalized with spray painted graffiti stating “Biden 2020,” “BLM” and an Antifa symbol, and that his camper was targeted because it had a Trump 2020 flag displayed on it."

In the indictment, prosecutors deny Molla's account of the fire.

It reads:

“In reality, as Molla well knew, Molla started his own property on fire, Molla spray painted the graffiti on his own property and there were no unknown males near his home."

Denis Molla pleaded not-guilty in court on Tuesday. He is not currently in custody.